In just a few days, you and I will have the opportunity gather in community to worship.

My question for you (and me) is this: will you be in the moment?

What do I mean?

The week that just ended will have been busy. Perhaps there were joys. Perhaps there was sadness. Probably there was some uncertainty.

We’ll also gather conscious that there is a week ahead of us. A week that will be filled with challenges, projects, and responsibilities.

For me, not only will I have the week to come on my mind, but I will also have the flow of the service on my mind – the songs, elements, and always what’s next.

It’s easy, with all that on our minds, to miss the moments where God shows up and the Holy Spirit begins to move. Continue Reading…

This past Christmas, my son had a huge expectation of getting a specific Lego set. He talked about it for months leading up to Christmas. Every time we went to the store, he pointed it out.

Christmas morning came, and…

…it wasn’t under the tree. When we had the opportunity to purchase the set, we didn’t. We thought we could get it later. We couldn’t.

Fortunately, he was very gracious and happy with the Lego sets he did receive.

Expectation is a part of life. Sometimes they are met, and sometimes not.

As I kick off 2012 here at the blog, we could talk about the expectations we have of a better year, a healthier life, deeper spirituality, a more pleasing work situation, and so on.

But, I would much rather take a step back and wonder if you have any expectations about… Continue Reading…

What would happen if you were sitting in your office one day, minding your own business and working, when you suddenly received some amazing news?

That’s exactly what happened to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem on a clear night about 2 centuries ago.

The Bible tells us that there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified (Luke 2:8-9).

And with those verses begins the familiar shepherds and angels portion of the Christmas story.

But, the shepherds are more than just the first people the birth of Jesus was announced to.

The shepherds were also worshipers.

Their story can teach us about worship. Continue Reading…

Next week is Thanksgiving.

In the days to come, people will begin making preparations. Many churches will be building their worship services around the theme of thanks. I know I am. There will be opportunities to serve and bless others who are in need.

Our thoughts will turn to the things for which we are thankful.

All this is good.

But, I often wonder why we seem to only focus on giving thanks at Thanksgiving time? It’s almost like we realize we haven’t done well, and so we try and say “Thank You, Lord” as much as we can.

I understand the connection with the day we’ve designated as Thanksgiving Day.

But I also see the Scriptures calling us to be continually thankful. Continue Reading…

Editor’s Note: The Journey of Worship Road Trip continues with Alex Beaverson. I met Alex as a young man during the time I served in Cody, WY. I had the opportunity to serve with and encourage him in worship ministry and count it a privilege to know him. He is the author of the recent book This Walk With Christ: a Book about Christianity and how to Start at a Young Age written from his own experience of following Christ as a teenager. He is currently a student at Azusa Pacific University studying Biblical studies and lives with his wife in Southern California. You can connect with him through his website. 

Yeah, I did that…I put my journey of worship into one word: Captivated. I thought the word best describes what I have experienced and where I stand today in regards to my worship experience. Is it safe for me to say that worship might be defined as, in my life, the attempt to fathom the One who is unfathomable?

Many times when I worship Christ I come away with more questions about that which—I thought—I had the answers for already.  I find myself at a moment of complete wonder, complete adoration for the one that can never really be understood.  1 Corinthians 12:13 in the KJV says that as we look through a glass dimly, we attempt to see something (God) but we are looking through a dark window. We journey through life attempting as best we can to experience the living God, only just to get a taste, a glimpse, or a small sample of the creator… and when that time comes one cannot help but be captivated in that moment. Continue Reading…